logo
Oscar Piastri eyeing epic 45-year first after brutal act from McLaren teammate

Oscar Piastri eyeing epic 45-year first after brutal act from McLaren teammate

Yahoo15-03-2025

Hometown hero Oscar Piastri says he's "the most relaxed" he's been heading into an Australian Grand Prix, despite being denied a special piece of history by McLaren teammate, Lando Norris. Melbourne-born Piastri will start second on the grid behind Norris for Sunday's race at Albert Park but came within a whisker of becoming the first Australian to claim pole for his home race.
Piastri had history within his grasp after going to the top of the times with just seconds remaining in qualifying, until McLaren teammate Norris denied the local hope in dramatic fashion. Norris had an earlier lap time deleted for exceeding track limits but almost immediately went faster than Piastri after seeing the home crowd erupt at his teammate's sizzling time.
In a cruel twist for Piastri, he was pipped to pole by just eight hundredths of a second as Norris completed a McLaren one-two. Piastri insisted he wasn't too disappointed after giving it everything he had, but admitted he would have liked to be one place higher on the grid and taken his place in Australian motorsport history.
'Pretty happy. It's obviously great to start the year on the font row - only one position back from what I would've liked,' Piastri said. 'Just not quite enough in Q3 but I'm pretty happy with a solid start. Sector three I lost a little bit of time ... maybe left a little bit on the table but it was pretty tricky out there for everybody.
"I wouldn't say I'm disappointed (not to get pole) because I feel like I did a job that I'm happy with. I think if I was sitting here going I had another two-tenths in hand and I blew it then I'd be pretty upset. But I feel like I've executed well this weekend so that's all I can ask for myself."
📻 "Not a bad way to start the year"Kicking off the season with a front-row lockout for @McLaren 🟠#F1 #AusGP pic.twitter.com/XuayZNbDD1
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 15, 2025
Piastri now has a chance to become the first hometown winner of the Australian Open in 45 years, when Aussie motorsport legend Alan Jones raced to victory in 1980. Piastri will have the majority of a massive crowd inside the Albert Park circuit cheering him on, but the 23-year-old says he's feeling relaxed and not about to let the weight of expectation burden him.
Piastri won two races last season to help his McLaren team claim an unexpected constructors championship and he's hoping to keep that momentum going in the year's first race.
"This is the most relaxed I've been at my home race," Piastri said. "The first two years, especially the first year I came here, it was a pretty overwhelming experience. Even last year, it was still a pretty big experience. This year I've just been able to enjoy it a bit more; maybe because I've been a bit more confident in the car under me.
"But I've really been enjoying it and been enjoying the support. I feel like the support's gone up a little bit since last year as well. It's amazing what happens when you start winning stuff. But no, it's great to have all the home support and very appreciated."
Norris admitted his pole position was bittersweet as it came at the expense of his teammate and a slice of history, but the Englishman said it was just part of the sport. "It's also my job, and it's what I get paid to do," Norris said. "What's written in my contract is I have to go out and drive as quick as I can. It's a difficult one because every country backs their drivers a lot."
Piastri's fellow Australian, Jack Doohan, will start his first home GP from 14th after putting in a solid effort before being eliminated in Q2. "Unlucky with the yellow flag, which brought a close to our chances," Doohan said. "We were looking very strong, even on that (last) lap, we were two-tenths up before that happened."
Red Bull's four-time world champion Max Verstapppen will start behind the McLarens in third, one spot ahead of Mercedes driver George Russell. Fellow Brit and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamiton qualified eighth in his highly-anticipated driving debut for Ferrari. Haas rookie Oliver Bearman's nightmare weekend continued as he failed to record a lap time after suffering gearbox trouble and will start from 20th and last on the grid.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Jason Day Emulates John Daly with US Open Malbon Look
Jason Day Emulates John Daly with US Open Malbon Look

Newsweek

timean hour ago

  • Newsweek

Jason Day Emulates John Daly with US Open Malbon Look

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Australian golfer Jason Day and Malbon Golf have done it again. On Tuesday at the U.S. Open, the Aussie stopped people in their tracks as he wore a bold outfit that featured full-on American flag shorts. It seemed like the 2015 PGA Championship winner giving a nod to John Daly, who famously rocked similar attire. This outfit very well could be the 2025 version of last year's Masters vest, but better. OAKMONT, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 10: Jason Day of Australia looks on during a practice round prior to the 125th U.S. OPEN at Oakmont Country Club on June 10, 2025 in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. OAKMONT, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 10: Jason Day of Australia looks on during a practice round prior to the 125th U.S. OPEN at Oakmont Country Club on June 10, 2025 in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. Photo byFans seemed shocked to see an international player don the Red, White and Blue. As an Australian citizen, Day made an interesting choice, but it again brought so many eyes to Malbon. This brand knows how to draw the eye, and they have a player willing to do it confidently. It is a massive leap from the sweatsuit he wore Sunday at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Many people dislike Malbon because of their non-traditional approach to golf fashion, but this outfit likely won over many haters. Day wore a navy polo from Malbon's new Eagle Buckets collection. He also donned the white pullover from the latest release with an American star collar with red details. The fans could not get enough of this patriotic moment, and their reactions were spot on. One of the best posts about the shorts came from X user, ANTIFAldo, who immediately thought of Daly when he saw Day's outfit, captioning the post "this is John G'Daly." Daly has worn multiple pairs of American flag pants throughout the years. He is notorious for loud pants and has always been unapologetically himself in them. Happy Birthday to British Open Champion and a true american, John Daly #TreysBirthdayTweets — The Main On Trey Comedy Page🇬🇧 (@SportsRM749) April 28, 2025 Thankfully, Malbon styled it with class because there is a fine line when wearing something as impactful as the American flag. It can get cheesy fast. Malbon's choices were not cheesy at all, but very stylish. Sure, the pullover had a wild collar, but it was still subtle enough not to overshadow the shorts, which were the clear statement piece. Leave it up to the Australian golfer to show the Americans how to dress for their national championship. Day lives in Cleveland, Ohio, but it is bold and surprising of him to break out the full Red, White, and Blue outfit. Jason Day: Born in Australia, lives in Cleveland, lover of the red, white, and blue. — Mark Harris (@itismarkharris) June 10, 2025 Fans seem to be coming around to the wild outfits from Malbon, especially ones that pay respect to this country. Things have come a long way since April 2024, when the world stopped for Jason Day's vest. These shorts may surpass the popularity of that first viral moment. More Golf: US Open 2025: All 156 Golfers Ranked by Chances at Oakmont

Exclusive: F1 decides against F175-style season launch in 2026
Exclusive: F1 decides against F175-style season launch in 2026

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Exclusive: F1 decides against F175-style season launch in 2026

Formula 1 has decided against holding a group season launch for its 2026 campaign, has learned. To celebrate the championship's 75th anniversary, F1 held a first-of-its-kind 2025 season launch with all teams jointly presenting their new liveries at the O2 Arena in London. Advertisement By all metrics the event was a success for F1 and its teams and sponsors: it recorded a peak of 1.1 million concurrent live viewers on its YouTube channel, with 7.5 million viewers in total across various platforms as the series officially kickstarted the 2025 campaign. But has learned that after exploring options with its teams and stakeholders, commercial rightsholder FOM has now decided not to repeat the event ahead of the 2026 season. It is understood that a part of the decision is down to FOM feeling that as February's launch event was held specifically to celebrate F1's 75-year anniversary, it wouldn't necessarily have made sense to hold it annually but rather revisit it in the future around other key moments. Alex Albon, Williams Alex Albon, Williams Another major factor is the sweeping regulation changes for 2026, which means teams will have to run all-new cars and power units. As part of that huge undertaking, F1's 11 teams - its 10 current squads and newcomer Cadillac - are set for a trio of three-day pre-season tests in Barcelona and Bahrain, up from this off-season's sole three-day test in Sakhir. Advertisement The first of those test events is expected to be held behind closed doors in Barcelona at the end of January, pushing any potential season launch closer towards the turn of the year. An official, large-scale season launch in the style of 2025's O2 spectacle would not only cause a big distraction at a critical time for F1 teams, but would also have to be held at a time when they are still finalising their 2026 sponsorship roster. Read Also: F1's 2026 Canadian GP clash with Indy 500 won't happen every year F1 reveals 2026 calendar as Madrid replaces Imola FOM has therefore decided not to go ahead with a repeat of 2025 after a consultation with teams. It is, however, still exploring options to revive the event in the future. Among the options is to take the event to different key cities and markets around the world rather than return to London. To read more articles visit our website.

Le Mans 24 Hours: Where and how to watch the 2025 race on TV
Le Mans 24 Hours: Where and how to watch the 2025 race on TV

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Le Mans 24 Hours: Where and how to watch the 2025 race on TV

The 93rd running of the Le Mans 24 Hours is taking place this week, starting on Wednesday and Thursday with free practice and qualifying, before the race runs from Saturday 4pm to Sunday 4pm (local time). When to watch it (all times CET) Wednesday 11 June 2pm-5pm – Free Practice 1 6:45pm-7:15pm – LMP2/LMGT3 qualifying 7:30pm-8pm – Hypercar qualifying 10pm-12am – Free Practice 2 Advertisement Thursday 12 June 2:45pm-5:45pm – Free Practice 3 8pm-8:50pm – LMP2/LMGT3 Hyperpole 9:05pm-9:55pm – Hypercar Hyperpole 11pm-12am – Free Practice 4 Saturday 14 June 12pm-12:15pm – Warm-up 4pm – Race start Sunday 15 June 4pm – Chequered flag Where to watch it Worldwide, FIA WEC TV provides full coverage of the event, with the Le Mans pass costing €17.99 while the end-of-season pass is €49.99, with four more races coming up. However, FIA WEC TV is geoblocked in several countries including the United States and Canada. In the US, Max covers every session both live and on demand, with the full race also broadcast live by Motortrend. In Canada, the Crave digital platform streams the full race live. Advertisement Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, coverage is available on TNT Sports and Discovery+. Australian viewers will enjoy every session this week on Stan Sport, live and on demand. To read more articles visit our website.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store